Despite initially claiming that the Star Wars story ended with the redemption of Anakin Skywalker in Return of the Jedi, and after spending years refuting speculation that there would be another film, Star Wars creator George Lucas began work on Episode VII in 2011 in order to increase the value of Lucasfilm before he sold it to The Walt Disney Company, although Disney would later elect to not use Lucas' story. The acquisition was finalized on October 30, 2012, and Disney and Lucasfilm officially announced Episode VII and the sequel trilogy the same day. Lucasfilm later announced that the film would be an original story not beholden to the continuity of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, which was rebranded as the non-canon Star Wars Legends.

The Force Awakens was released on December 17, 2015 in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Latin America, and Asian countries; December 18, 2015 in North America; and January 9, 2016 in China. Some North American theaters offered special limited advance showings on the evening of December 17th rather than the traditional midnight showing. The film received widespread critical praise upon its release and was a massive box office success, becoming the highest grossing film of all time in North America when not adjusted for inflation. Worldwide, the film is the third highest grossing of all time when not adjusted for inflation. It is currently the highest grossing sequel of all time and the first Star Wars film since The Phantom Menace to be the highest grossing film of its release year worldwide.

Contents

Luke Skywalker has vanished.
In his absence, the sinister
FIRST ORDER has risen from
the ashes of the Empire
and will not rest until
Skywalker, the last Jedi,
has been destroyed.
With the support of the
REPUBLIC, General Leia Organa
leads a brave RESISTANCE.
She is desperate to find her
brother Luke and gain his
help in restoring peace
and justice to the galaxy.
Leia has sent her most daring
pilot on a secret mission
to Jakku, where an old ally
has discovered a clue to
Luke's whereabouts....

After stormtrooper FN-2187 is deployed, FN-2003 is hit with blaster fire by Poe. FN-2187 goes to help his squadmate, but FN-2003's wound proves fatal, and in his final moments, FN-2003 smears his blood on FN-2187's helmet before dying, deeply affecting FN-2187. After securing the area, the remaining villagers are herded into the town square. Tekka is captured and brought before Kylo Ren, who demands to know where the map leading to Luke is. Tekka responds that he knows who Ren used to be, and chides Ren that he cannot escape his real identity. Growing impatient, Ren kills Tekka by striking him down with his lightsaber.

Poe takes a shot at Ren from cover, but Ren casually stops the blaster bolt in mid-air with the Force. Poe is captured, and Ren decides to interrogate him further back on their ship. Before leaving, Phasma asks what to do with the crowd of captive villagers, and Ren orders them all slaughtered. Stormtrooper FN-2187 is horrified as the massacre plays out in front of him, remaining motionless and not firing his weapon.

Returning to the Resurgent-class Star DestroyerFinalizer, FN-2187 is overwhelmed with emotions because of the death of his squadmate and the massacre of the villagers. He ducks inside an empty shuttle to take his helmet off, breathing heavily, but Phasma notices him and tells him to submit his blaster for inspection, having earlier noticed that he did not fire a shot. Knowing he would be punished and re-evaluated for not firing on the villagers, and with his faith in the First Order severely shaken, he decides to desert. Meanwhile, after failed attempts of torturing Poe for vital information about the map of Luke Skywalker's location, Ren uses his mind probe Force power to pry the information from Poe's mind. Ren learns that the map is located within a BB series droid that fled the village, and informs General Armitage Hux of the new information.

Elsewhere on Jakku, a scavenger named Rey traverses the corridors of a downed Star Destroyer at the Graveyard of Giants. Scavenging through the Star Destroyer, she finds a valuable piece of salvage and drops it in her satchel. Rey heads to Niima Outpost, and hauls the sack of salvage throughout the town. She then goes to Unkar Plutt to exchange her scraps for foodstuff, and he offers her a quarter portion for her salvage. After taking the foodstuff, Rey heads to her home, a downed AT-AT, and prepares a meal for herself. After finishing her meal, she watches a starship depart from the planet and then notices a distant sound. She immediately runs off with her quarterstaff to investigate.

There, she encounters BB-8 struggling against being captured by a green-skinnedhumanoid scavenger named Teedo. She frees the droid and gives it directions to Niima Outpost and sends it on its way, but BB-8 insists on traveling with her. Rey goes to Unkar Plutt to again exchange her salvage for foodstuff, and the Crolute offers to buy BB-8 for sixty food portions; while tempted, Rey declines the offer. Plutt then sends two thugs to steal BB-8.

FN-2187 and Poe Dameron walk through the halls of the Finalizer to escape.

Needing a pilot to escape, FN-2187 frees the captured Poe Dameron from his cell, and the two steal a Special Forces TIE fighter. FN-2187 mans the guns, killing several of his former comrades in the hangar, and then disables the Finalizer's turbolasers on the outside of the vessel. During the escape, Dameron asks the stormtrooper his name, to which he explains that he has been raised from birth to be a stormtrooper, and the serial number "FN-2187" is the only designation he has ever had. Not content with calling a man a number, Dameron names the trooper "Finn", from the FN in his name. Finn likes the name, and goes on to use it. Dameron also tells him that the map vital to the Resistance was located within his astromech droid. Before they can continue their conversation and escape, the TIE is hit by a missile fired from the Finalizer, sending it spiraling towards the planet below.

Phasma reveals to Hux that this was FN-2187's first offense of non-conformity. A technician then informs Hux that the TIE fighter was projected to crash on Goazon Badlands, a canyon zone on Jakku. Realizing that Poe and Finn were going after BB-8, Hux sends out a squadron of search teams to the area.

Finn and Dameron eject from the TIE shortly before it crashes, each landing separately some distance from the wreckage. Making his way to the crash, Finn finds Poe's jacket, but no other sign of the man, and the fighter sinks into the sand. Believing Dameron to be dead, Finn begins wandering through the desert, discarding his stormtrooper armor along the way and eventually arriving at the nearest settlement, thirsting for water.

While Finn staggers to an animal trough to desperately slake his thirst, he notices thugs attempting to steal a BB unit droid, which Finn recognizes as BB-8, from a woman, Rey, but she fends them off with her staff. BB-8 notices Finn, wearing his master Dameron's jacket, prompting Rey to chase after him. Rey attacks Finn, believing him to be a thief. Finn explains that he had met and helped Poe escape the Finalizer, but that Dameron had apparently perished during their crash. The First Order tracks Finn to the settlement, and launches an airstrike in attempt to search for BB-8 and the map. Rey, Finn, and BB-8 attempt to flee towards a Quadjumper but TIEs destroy it. With only one option left, the trio manages to escape in the Millennium Falcon. Rey flies it through the Graveyard of Giants, while Finn fires on and destroys the pursuing TIE fighters. With the TIE fighters destroyed, they escape into space.

Back aboard the Finalizer, Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka informs Kylo Ren that the droid escaped on a stolen freighter and that it was aided by the deserter FN-2187. Ren activates his lightsaber and lashes out in a rage-fueled tantrum, slashing at an instrument panel uncontrollably. Mitaka tells Ren that they also appear to have been helped by a local scavenger girl. Kylo grows even more livid, using the Force to pull the officer by his throat across the room in order to choke him with his bare hands, and asking him what girl it was.

While Finn and Rey celebrate their escape from Jakku, the Millennium Falcon breaks down. The ship is in major need of repairs, so Finn, Rey and BB-8 begin working to fix it. While they are working on repairs, the ship is caught in a tractor beam by a freighter. Although they initially believe themselves to be captured by the First Order, they soon meet their real captors: Han Solo and Chewbacca, the former owners of the ship. Upon boarding their old vessel, Han and Chewie go about inspecting their ship and find the two stowaways, Rey and Finn, who he assumes were the thieves that had stolen the Falcon. When Rey and Finn explain that they were going to take a droid named BB-8 to the Resistance because it has a map that would reveal Luke's location, Han and Chewie agree to help them.

"Your game is old. There's no one in the galaxy left for you to swindle."

―Bala-Tik to Han Solo[src]

Han attempts to talk his way out of a confrontation between two gangs.

Unfortunately, Han's freighter, the Eravana, is boarded by two notorious criminal factions, the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub, both of whom want their money back from Solo. Not wanting Rey and Finn to be involved, Han hides both of them in the lower corridors of the freighter while he and Chewie go meet with the criminals, with BB-8 accompanying them. Han tries but fails to convince both parties that he would fix things eventually, with the Guavian Death Gang negotiator, Bala-Tik, recognizing the BB-8 astromech droid from a First Order bounty placed on it. They demand that Han hand over the droid and any stowaways he might have on board. As the scuffle continues, Rey accidentally releases three rathtars. The rathtars provide a distraction for Han and Chewie to escape, but one catches Finn and drags him around the freighter. Rey finds a control panel and shuts a blast door on the rathtar, freeing Finn. The two join Han and Chewie and successfully jump to hyperspace in the Falcon. Bala-Tik then orders his men to inform the First Order that Han Solo and the BB unit are aboard the ship.

At Starkiller Base, a planet converted into a superweapon, powered by draining the energy of a star, and capable of destroying star systems, Kylo Ren and General Hux are summoned by Supreme LeaderSnoke, who appears as a large remote hologram projection. Hux suggests using Starkiller Base to destroy the government of the New Republic and the Resistance, and Snoke grants him the permission to do so. Snoke reveals to Ren that the astromech droid containing the map now resides in the Millennium Falcon - along with his father, Han Solo. Ren insists that his father means nothing to him, and with Snoke's training, he would not be seduced to the light side of the Force.

During the travel in hyperspace, the Falcon experiences a problem with its hyperdrive, but Rey demonstrates her knowledge of ships by bypassing the compressor and fixing the issue. Meanwhile, Finn attempts to bandage Chewie's arm, which was wounded while fighting on the Eravana. After fixing the ship, Han questions Finn and Rey, wondering why they are fugitives. Rey explains that the First Order is after the map located within BB-8 and that Finn is with the Resistance.

After BB-8 displays a projection of the map, Han explains that after Luke disappeared, there were many parties that went searching for him. Luke had tried to rebuild the Jedi Order, but an apprentice of his turned to the dark side, destroying all that Luke had built and killing the other padawans that Luke had trained. Feeling responsible and blaming himself for the failure, Luke went into exile. Han also explains that he heard rumors that Luke went searching for the first Jedi Temple.

Solo explains that he was able to find the Millennium Falcon soon after it entered space because he and Chewbacca were scanning for its signature. This was also why the criminal gangs were able to track it down so quickly, and meant the First Order could track it as well. In order to bring BB-8 to the Resistance, they needed to switch to a clean ship, which Han says he can obtain from an old friend.

Solo takes Rey, Finn, and BB-8 to the planet Takodana to meet with Maz Kanata at her castle. Han says that she has maintained her castle for over a thousand years, where she runs a bustling cantina. Unbeknownst to all, spies from different sides take notice of the group. GA-97 alerts the Resistance that the BB unit has been located, while Bazine Netal informs the First Order of the same.

"Forgive me. I feel it again... the pull to the light. Supreme Leader senses it. Show me again, the power of the darkness, and I will let nothing stand in our way. Show me, Grandfather, and I will finish what you started."

―Kylo Ren to Darth Vader's helmet[src]

Kylo Ren seeks guidance from his grandfather, Darth Vader.

Attempting to seek guidance from his grandfather, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren sits quietly in his meditation chamber. In front of him is the burned helmet of Vader, recovered from the funeral pyre on Endor. With the re-emergence of his father and Snoke's orders to kill him, Kylo feels an internal struggle within himself. He reveals to Vader's burned helmet that the light is pulling him in again and that even Snoke could sense it. He then asks his grandfather to show him the power of the darkness again, to pull him back to the dark side of the Force and help him overcome his future trials.

While Han and Chewie speak with Maz, Finn heads out to make a deal of his own. Finn hires Sidon Ithano and his first mate Quiggold to take him away to the Outer Rim for work. Rey implores Finn not to leave, but to help her find the Resistance instead. Finn, however, insists on leaving, believing there is no way to defeat the First Order. He also admits that he lied about being in the Resistance and was really a stormtrooper in the First Order, deserting after his first battle because he didn't want to kill for the First Order. After Finn leaves, Rey hears the screaming of a young girl and finds herself wandering deeper into the castle to find the source. She descends to a sub-chamber that is filled with relics of the past. There she is called by the Force to Maz's curio box, an ancient Wroshyr wood chest. Inside, she finds the lightsaber that had previously belonged to Anakin Skywalker and his son Luke.

Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 as seen in Rey's Force vision.

Upon touching the lightsaber, she receives a series of visions. Suddenly, she finds herself in Cloud City where Luke battled Darth Vader. As quick as she saw that vision, it goes away, and she now sees Luke placing his metallic hand on top of R2-D2 near a fire, at a site presumed to be Luke's burning Jedi Temple. Next, she finds herself lying in the rain at night to see the Knights of Ren surrounded by slaughtered victims, fearing for her life as Ren notices her. Before he reaches her, she sees herself as a child on Jakku watching the departure of her parents, yelling out to them to come back, and being told to quiet herself from Unkar Plutt. Looking to the future, Rey then finds herself being chased by Kylo Ren in a snowy forest. Rey pulls herself out of the vision in terror. After the vision, she finds Kanata standing outside the room. Kanata explains to her the lightsaber's history and that it was calling to her. Kanata then reveals that she herself is Force-sensitive; although she was never a Jedi, she can simply close her eyes and feel the light of the Force within herself, and recognizes that Rey can do this too. Frightened by her vision, Rey refuses to keep the lightsaber, running off into the woods with BB-8.

"Today is the end of the Republic! The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder!"

―General Armitage Hux[src]

General Hux commands the firing of the Starkiller weapon.

After gaining Supreme Leader Snoke's permission to fire the Starkiller superweapon, Hux chooses the Hosnian system, which hosts the capital of the New Republic, Hosnian Prime, as well as the New Republic Defense Fleet, in order to demonstrate the power of the First Order in an attempt to wipe out the "illegitimate" government of the New Republic in one fell swoop. The test is a success and Hosnian Prime, the current elected home of the Galactic Senate, all other astronomical bodies in the system, and an unknown percentage of the New Republic fleet are annihilated by the First Order's superweapon. The destruction of the Hosnian system is visible from the surface of Takodana. Shaken by the destruction, Finn re-evaluates his choice to leave.

The First Order, tipped off to BB-8's presence, arrives and attacks Maz Kanata's castle. Flying in with TIE fighters and Atmospheric Assault Landers, the First Order swiftly assaults the castle and levels it, killing many of its inhabitants. Maz gives Luke's old lightsaber to Finn for safekeeping, telling Han she doesn't have time to tell him how she retrieved it. BB-8 follows Rey into the forests surrounding the castle, and the First Order is unable to locate the droid until a stormtrooper officer reports to Kylo Ren that the astromech had been sighted in the company of a girl.

During the fighting at the castle, Finn wields the lightsaber to kill one stormtrooper before he is overpowered by FN-2199, a former squadmate of Finn's. His life is narrowly saved by Han, who uses Chewbacca's bowcaster to blast FN-2199 at the last second. Han and Chewbacca also kill multiple stormtroopers, but are captured along with Finn by the First Order. However, Resistance T-70 X-wing starfighters led by Poe Dameron, who is now revealed to still be alive, arrive to fight the First Order. A fierce dogfight ensues and results in the destruction of many First Order TIEs and the deaths of many stormtroopers from X-wing strafing runs.

Rey encounters Kylo Ren at the woods, and fires at him with her blaster pistol, but Kylo restrains her using the Force. Probing her mind, he discovers that she has seen the map he's been looking for all this time, and orders the First Order to pull out, saying they had what they came for and no longer need BB-8. As the battle rages on above the castle, the remaining First Order troops board their ships and retreat, and Han witnesses his son carrying an unconscious Rey away. The Resistance is victorious, freeing Finn, Han, and Chewbacca. Han and Leia are reunited, and Han reveals to Leia that he saw their son.

Han, Chewbacca, and Finn are brought to the Resistance base on D'Qar. BB-8 encounters the astromech droid R2-D2, who, as C-3PO explains, has been dormant since Luke's disappearance. With the recovered map from BB-8 displayed on hologram, 3PO reveals that it is only partially complete, and that the map matches no charted system on record. It is revealed that Han and Leia are aware that their son is Kylo Ren, and that their son's fall to the dark side, despite Luke's efforts to guide him, caused them to separate, with Han returning to his smuggling business and Leia spearheading the activities of the Resistance.

Upon finding the location of the Resistance base, Starkiller Base begins draining the power of the sun to destroy D'Qar. Meanwhile, the Resistance plans an attack of their own. Finn gives them the base's blueprints, which reveal that the base drains the energy of a star in order to charge its superweapon, and that it requires a thermal oscillator, which sustains the energy on the planet, in order to function. If the thermal oscillator was destroyed, it would de-stabilize the planet's core and implode the base. However, they would need to do it before the base charges its weapon and destroys D'Qar. Finn, Han, and Chewie volunteer to disable the base's defensive shield from the inside. Before departing to Starkiller Base, Han and Leia embrace, and Leia pleads Han to bring their son home.

Rey is brought to Starkiller Base and interrogated by Kylo Ren, who wants information on the map to Luke Skywalker. Ren takes off his helmet and shows her his face. Initially, Ren is able to see into Rey's mind, mentioning an island surrounded by water. However, the dark warrior has a difficult time probing her mind, and Rey is even able to push back into Ren's mind. After a mental struggle, Rey announces that she can sense fear in him - fear that he will never be as powerful as Darth Vader. Humiliated, Kylo storms out of the room to seek audience with Snoke.

Rey uses a mind trick on a stormtrooper to aid her escape.

Left alone and aware of what just happened, Rey realizes it is as Kanata told her: she truly is Force-sensitive. She attempts to use a Jedi mind trick on her stormtrooper guard, to make him release her and leave the door open. It doesn't work, but Rey tries again: this time he walks over and tells her he will tighten her restraints instead of undoing them. Concentrating, Rey tries one last time, and the stormtrooper listens to her demands. She quickly also remembers to have him drop his blaster as he leaves so she can arm herself. Rey then makes her way through Starkiller Base, honing her Force abilities while using stealth. She also draws on her experience climbing through wrecked Imperial starships to make her way through the bowels of the installation's machinery. Meanwhile, Kylo reveals to Snoke that Rey is strong with the Force but untrained, and Snoke commands Kylo to bring Rey to him. When Kylo discovers that Rey escaped, he throws another fit of rage, slashing at her empty restraint chair.

Han Solo pilots the Millennium Falcon to Starkiller Base accompanied by Chewbacca and Finn. Finn's main objective is to rescue Rey from captivity. Since the Starkiller's shields have a fractional refresh rate, Han pilots through the shields at lightspeed, and the Falcon makes a rough landing at the edge of a cliff. Han, Chewbacca, and Finn sneak into the main base and capture Captain Phasma, whom they force to disable the shields before disposing of her in a garbage chute. They reunite with Rey, who had already escaped on her own. With the shields down, Blue Squadron and Red Squadron led by Black Leader Poe Dameron commence their assault. They fire on the base's hexagonal oscillator structure, but fail to destroy it as the First Order sends TIE fighters to stage a counterattack and throw the Resistance into chaos.

Seeing this, Han, Chewbacca, Finn, and Rey try to create an opening by planting thermal detonators inside the base. Sensing his father's presence, Kylo goes to meet Han. Han then confronts his son, Kylo Ren, calling to him by his birth name, "Ben". They approach each other on a bridge over a large pit, and Han pleads with his son to reject Snoke and return to the light side of the Force. Ben, removing his mask and seeming regretful and scared, holds out his lightsaber to Solo, asking for his father's help. Han replies that he would do anything for him, but when he tries to retract the lightsaber from Ben's hand, he resists. Ben then twists the angle of the hilt and ignites the weapon through Han's torso. Witnessed by Rey, Finn, and Chewbacca, Han strokes his son's face for the last time, before falling to his death. Enraged, Chewbacca, Rey, and Finn start firing at Ren and the stormtroopers. As the firefight rages, back on D'Qar Leia has to sit down when she feels Han die through the Force, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears. Chewbacca injures Ren with his bowcaster, but Ren chases them out of the base and catches up to Finn and Rey in the forest.

Kylo Ren locks sabers with the former stormtrooper.

Rey calls Ren a monster and then proceeds to shoot him with her blaster, but Ren knocks Rey out by Force pushing her into a tree. A desperate and terrified Finn comes to her aid immediately. Ren angrily accuses Finn of being a traitor, and Finn pulls out Luke's old lightsaber and attacks him in a rage. Ren is already badly injured, bleeding out of his abdomen from the bowcaster wound, but even so is too much for Finn. Finn manages to deal him a glancing wound, but nonetheless Ren quickly overpowers the former stormtrooper and deals him a grievous injury to his back. Ren tries to use telekinesis to pick up the lightsaber his grandfather built, but it resists his pull and instead flies to Rey, who has awakened from her stupor.

Poe flies in and destroys the base's thermal oscillator.

During this time, Chewie detonates the thermal detonators in the base, allowing Poe to lead a squadron of X-wings into the trenches of Starkiller Base. Poe finds an opening in the thermal oscillator and enters, while a following TIE crashes, unable to execute the same flight maneuver. Inside, Poe fires volley after volley of torpedoes into the oscillator, destroying the base's thermal oscillator thirty seconds before it finishes draining the sun to completely charge the superweapon. This causes a chain reaction to go off, which destroys the base and levels the entire planet's terrain - without the weapon to dissipate it, the stored solar energy begins tearing the planet apart from the inside.

Rey and Kylo Ren duel on Starkiller Base.

Rey and Ren continue fighting: Ren has taken even more wounds, from Chewbacca, Finn, and Rey, but even so initially holds the advantage, drawing on his rage to ignore the pain. Ren becomes so impressed with Rey that he tries to tempt her, complimenting her strength with the Force and offering to complete her training if she joins him. This backfires, however, as it only serves to reassure Rey of her own power, she begins to draw on the Force to hone her attacks, and the tide of the duel shifts. Ultimately, Rey is able to overpower Ren and deal him a severe wound to his face while severing his lightsaber in two. By this point, Kylo has taken too many wounds to continue standing, but he still struggles in vain to rise again. Before Rey can move in to finish him off, a large trench forms between them as the base begins to fall apart.

Rey returns to Finn, despairing that Finn is not waking up and that they are trapped on the rupturing planet. However, Chewbacca arrives with the Millennium Falcon to rescue them. Inside the main base, chaos reigns as General Hux has already fled, and the other officers rush to abandon the installation as well. Hux, meanwhile, reports to Snoke, who orders him to rescue Ren and flee the base, so Ren can finish his training. The Millennium Falcon and the remainder of the Resistance fleet manage to escape Starkiller Base as it erupts into a ball of fire. They then enter hyperspace to return to D'Qar.

The Resistance celebrates their victory while Leia, Chewbacca, and Rey mourn Han's death. R2-D2 suddenly awakens and reveals that he holds the map to Luke's location, with the only piece of the map missing being the one BB-8 was given by Poe. Together they complete the map and reveal the location of Ahch-To, the planet on which Luke Skywalker sought out the first Jedi Temple. As the unconscious Finn recovers in the medical unit, Rey kisses him on the head and thanks him for everything.

Rey finds Luke Skywalker on the oceanic planet of Ahch-To.

With R2-D2 and Chewbacca in tow, Rey leaves on the Millennium Falcon and follows the map to the distant planet, a water world dotted with islands, which she had previously seen in her visions. Rey pilots the starship to a particular island with a large, ancient stone village on it. She climbs the rock-carved steps to the top of the island, where she finds Luke Skywalker. Without exchanging any words, Rey presents him with his father's lightsaber.

"I keep telling J.J. Abrams this is a $4 billion movie. We need to treat this very special. It's an unbelievable privilege and unbelievable responsibility to take a jewel and treat it in a way that is respectful of its past but brings it into the future."

Star Wars: Episode VII had already been in development for several months as of the Disney–Lucasfilm merger, and Lucas had written the story treatments for each of the three upcoming films. Kennedy said shortly after the announcement that the development team was in the process of sitting down with writers to discuss story ideas.[10] Lucasfilm confirmed on November 9 that pre-production had begun on Star Wars: Episode VII, and that screenwriter Michael Arndt would write the script for the film.[11] News outlets first reported Arndt's involvement on November 8, announcing that Arndt had already turned in a forty- to fifty-page story treatment that reportedly brought the Skywalker family saga to a close in a new trilogy.[12][13][14] On January 25, 2013, StarWars.com announced that J.J. Abrams, known for his work on the television series Lost and the most recent entries in the Star Trek film series, would direct the film, with Star Wars creator George Lucas remarking, "I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands."[15] Arndt worked on the script throughout 2013.[16]

Lucas was initially involved as creative consultant,[7] though he stepped away due to Disney's descision to take the story in a different direction than his original outlines.[17][18] He later elaborated in an interview with Stephen Colbert: "The original saga was about the father, the children, and the grandchildren. I don't think that's a secret to anybody—that's in the novels—and the children were in their 20s and everything. But they've taken it in a different direction, and I'm excited—they didn't use my story, so I don't know what they're doing."[19]Simon Kinberg also served as a consultant: "I'm like a friend of the court. I consult on the movies. I worked on VII: helped break the story, read scripts, drafts at certain points, and gave my thoughts whatever they were worth."[20] On October 24, 2013, it was announced that Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan were rewriting Arndt's script.[21] Abrams and Kasdan were under pressure to deliver a script in a relatively short period of time, with some of the higher-ups reportedly requesting that the film be delayed into 2016.[16] Kasdan's son Jon had uncredited writing contributions to the script,[22] and Episode VIII director Rian Johnson requested Abrams change the ending by having R2-D2 (not BB-8) come to Ahch-To and for Luke not to be floating boulders as originally intended.[23][24]

The Force Awakens began preliminary shooting in April 2014,[25][26] with second-unit work taking place in Iceland and Abu Dhabi.[27][28][29] On April 25, Lucasfilm announced their plans for a new continuity that excluded the existing Expanded Universe, and confirmed that Episode VII and its sequels would not adhere to any existing continuity.[30] This was followed on April 29 by the official release of the cast list for the movie. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and Anthony Daniels would return to reprise their roles as the main characters of the original trilogy, and they would be joined by a number of new actors in leading roles: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow.[31] Hamill remarked on returning to Star Wars: "Part of the experience of [Star Wars] in my life was coming down from that, putting it behind me. We had a beginning, middle, and an end. And I certainly, in a million years, never expected to return. I thought, even if they do more trilogies, my story is over."[32]Denis Lawson was asked to reprise his role as Wedge Antilles from the original trilogy, but declined, initially stating that it would have "bored" him,[33] but later claiming that he had been busy on another project.[34]

Principal photography began on May 16, 2014 at the UK'sPinewood Studios.[35][36][37][38] For visual inspiration, Abrams looked at films directed by John Ford, Akira Kurosawa, and Terrence Malick.[39]Daniel Mindel—who had previously worked with Abrams as director of photography—returned to collaborate with the director on the film.[40] Reportedly, one sequence was shot with IMAX cameras.[41][42] Although Peter Mayhew was able to reprise the role as Chewbacca,[43] some scenes had to be shot with a stunt double, due to Mayhew's age and physical health.[44] On June 11, the 71-year old Harrison Ford broke his left leg when a hydraulic door at Pinewood Studios fell down and hit him, and was airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.[45] His recovery forced him to drop out of filming for eight weeks.[46] Abrams also sustained a minor back injury when he tried to help lift the door off of Ford's leg.[47] On June 28, actor Andy Serkis confirmed that The Imaginarium Studios would be involved with performance capture on the film, as well as all future Star Wars projects. Serkis also confirmed that the character he plays in the film would utilize performance capture.[48] On July 6, Lucasfilm confirmed that actors Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen were cast in the film through open casting calls in the United Kingdom. They also revealed that production would take a two-week hiatus in August to accommodate Harrison Ford's leg injury. Afterwards shooting would resume, and conclude later in the fall.[49] Abrams, Hamill, and Daisy Ridley spent three days filming at Skellig Michael in County Kerry, Ireland.[50]

On November 6, 2014, the official Star Wars Twitter account announced that the film had completed principal photography. The post gave the official title for the film as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and was accompanied by a title card for the new name that, like the original trilogy, excluded the "Episode" subtitle.[51] The film had gone through several titles, including Shadow of the Empire, similar to Shadows of the Empire.[52][53]

Michael Kaplan, who had designed the costumes for Abrams' Star Trek films, also signed on to costume Episode VII.[54] Kaplan designed new stormtrooper uniforms for the film, as it was determined that the original costumes would not stand up to modern scrutiny. These new uniforms were inspired by Apple products.[55] The production team built a new C-3PO suit to accommodate Anthony Daniels,[56] while the R2-D2 model was provided and overseen by members of the R2-D2 Builders Club.[57]

During a concert with the Young Musician's Foundation Debut Orchestra on February 9, 2013 composer John Williams stated that he was hoping to get the chance to write the musical scores for the new trilogy.[60] Abrams made further statements on this at a Star Trek Into Darkness conference on April 29, stating, "Again, for Star Wars, it's very early days, but I believe that, going forward, John Williams will be doing that film because he was there long before I was."[61] On July 27, 2013, a video of Williams confirming he would score the new film was screened at Star WarsCelebration Europe II.[62] On March 21, 2015, Lucasfilm revealed that John Williams would conduct the score for The Force Awakens in Los Angeles. Williams's previous Star Wars scores were recorded in the United Kingdom with the London Symphony Orchestra.[63] The sessions lasted from summer through fall of 2015.[64]

"We're living in such a different age now. It's like a competition to see who can leak information faster than the next guy. I don't get it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they don't get a copy of the script and leak the whole thing on the Internet."

The first teaser trailer—released early due to both fan demand and Abrams' request[65][66]—was announced via the Bad Robot Productions Twitter account, with a note from Abrams saying fans will see a "tiny peek at what we're working on."[67] The 88-second teaser premiered in 30 theaters across North America and was released online on November 28, 2014.[68][69] The teaser was shown in theaters around the world beginning in December 2014.[68] Character names were revealed shortly thereafter in online mock collector cards.[70] Earlier that November, J.J. Abrams made a cameo on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, in which he could be seen directing R2-D2 on the set of The Force Awakens. When a fish from Oliver's salmon cannon falls on the script that he's holding, Abrams gets frustrated and quits the film.[71]

The cast and crew appeared on various TV programs, including Good Morning America,[84]Live! with Kelly and Michael,[85] and 60 Minutes.[86][87] Abrams, Boyega, and Ridley participated in a Saturday Night Live sketch featuring cast members and guest celebrities in a series of fake auditions. Among the subjects parodied were racist reactions to Boyega's casting, Lucas's comments about not being involved, and Abrams's involvement in the rival franchise Star Trek.[88][89] (More of these later aired on June 1, 2016.[90]) Abrams and the cast appeared on a Star Wars–themed episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on November 23.[91] Harrison Ford spoke about his injury during shooting on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon by destroying a Han Solo action figure.[92]

Some members of the cast and crew also participated in an official press conference on December 5.[93] The film had its red-carpet premiere on December 14 at Hollywood Boulevard.[94] The event was streamed live on StarWars.com.[95] The cast (including the droids) participated in an a cappellamedley of the music from the series with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots on The Tonight Show.[96] Ford and Abrams participated on a sketch on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert depicting what convinced Ford to return: Colbert allegedly almost convinced Abrams to recast the role of Han with him.[97] Later, when he appeared on Conan, he was asked to sign producer Jordan Schlansky's LEGO Millennium Falcon and "accidentally" dropped it.[98] Abrams made a cameo on a May 2016 episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden, in which he appeared in the backseat of a car and directed "Chewbacca Mom" Candace Payne on how to properly use a Chewbacca mask.[99]

On May 21, 2014, Disney, Lucasfilm, and Bad Robot announced "Force for Change," a charity campaign "dedicated to finding creative solutions to some of the world's biggest problems"; initially, the campaign was focused on contributing to UNICEF. Each person who donated was entered to win a set visit to and appearance in Episode VII.[100] On August 11, Denver, Colorado resident D.C. Barns was announced as the contest's winner.[101] J.J. Abrams later released a YouTube video in which he announced that the contest had raised $4.26 million.[102] In August 2014, several of the film's cast and crew participated in the "Ice Bucket Challenge," an Internet phenomenon whereby one pours water onto one's head as a pledge to donate to the ALS association.[103] On April 21, 2015, Abrams appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he performed the "Twizzler challenge" with Chewbacca, in honor of Autism Awareness Month.[104] In August 2015, Lucasfilm and HP began a two-month program called "Art Awakens," in which people submitted art inspired by The Force Awakens, of which a certain number were chosen for an art exhibit, the proceeds of which went to "Force for Change."[105] On November 5, 2015, director J.J. Abrams screened an unfinished version of the film for Daniel Fleetwood, a 32-year-old Star Wars fan with an aggressive form of cancer, who was likely to die before the film's release. The campaign for him to see the film was supported by several of the film's stars, including John Boyega, Mark Hamill, and Gwendoline Christie. Fleetwood passed away on November 9 or 10, 2015.[106] The film was also made available for viewing by astronauts on the International Space Station.[107] On November 28, it was revealed that R2-KT, the droid built in honor of Katie Johnson, would make an appearance in The Force Awakens.[108]Albin Johnson, founder of the 501st Legion and father of Katie, had constructed the droid after she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. In addition to R2-KT's appearance, a variation of the 501st's logo was featured as a flag outside Maz Kanata's castle.[109]

Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, its "imagineers" began developing Star Wars–themed expansions to the various Disney theme parks. However, Bob Iger halted work on these expansions until The Force Awakens and other future Star Wars films had reached a point in their development that elements from those projects could be included.[65] On August 15, 2015, it was announced that plans were moving forward for a Star Wars-themed section of the Disney parks, which would include content based on The Force Awakens.[110]

The merchandise garnered criticism as it lacked Rey's presence: Hasbro announced it would rerelease its Force Awakens Monopoly set to include her after it excluded her in favor of Darth Vader, who is not in the movie. Abrams said he was not involved much in the merchandising, and that when "I read that she wasn't in the Monopoly game and was quickly making phone calls about this because if it were true — and it is true, and now Hasbro, of course, has said they're going to put Rey in — it doesn't quite make sense why she wouldn't be there."[124]

The Force Awakens was released in a Blu-ray combo pack and on DVD on April 5, 2016, with a digital version available four days earlier on April 1. Special features included deleted scenes, featurettes and a feature-length documentary. Various retailers also included exclusive content and/or packaging,[125] and one deleted scene was exclusive to the digital download.[126] On March 23, 2016, the film was leaked online prior to its original Blu-ray release and was downloaded more than two million times in twelve hours.[127] A 3D Collector's Edition was also released in late 2016, containing Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, Digital HD and DVD versions of the film. It included all of the bonus features from the original release, as well as an audio commentary by J.J. Abrams, additional deleted scenes, and additional behind-the-scenes conversations with cast and crew.[128]

The film made its television debut on the Starz channels, beginning September 10, 2016.[129]

Theater tickets became available for pre-order on October 19th,[82] with many online retailers experiencing outages due to heavy demand, including top sites such as Fandango.[130][131] By the time of the film's release, over $100 million in pre-release tickets were sold, bypassing the previous record, held by The Dark Knight.[132]

Some theater chains limited the types of cosplay allowed at screenings of the film. For instance, fans at AMC and Cinemark weren't allowed to wear masks or face paint, or carry simulated weapons. Some chains also banned the carrying of lightsaber toys.[133]

The film carries a 93% fresh score at the review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, with 323 reviews and an average score of 8.2/10.[134][135] Manohla Dargis of the New York Times stated that "The big news about 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is — spoiler alert — that it's good!" and that the film "takes off with a battle and closes on a meaningful moment of quiet."[136] John Wenzel of the Denver Post graded the film at 3 1/2 stars out of 4, calling it a "masterful symphony" and praising the film's emphasis on "practical effects and honest-to-God sets."[137]Richard Roeper gave the film four stars.[138]

On January 6, 2016, the film broke the record for the highest box-office gross for a film in the United States, beating the previous record of $760.5 million held by the 2009 epic science-fiction film Avatar by James Cameron. The record was reached less than three weeks after release.[139] Adjusted for ticket price inflation, The Force Awakens is the most successful sequel of all time, narrowly beating Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.[140] On February 7, 2016, the film was reported to have crossed the threshold of $2 billion in ticket sales.[141]

The Force Awakens was nominated for five Oscars at the 88th Academy Awards (the largest number of award nominations for a single Star Wars film since A New Hope), held on February 28, 2016. The film was nominated in the categories of Best Film Editing for Maryann Brandon and Mary Joe Markey; Best Original Score for John Williams; Best Sound Editing for Matthew Wood and David Acord; Best Sound Mixing for Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio, and Stuart Wilson; and Best Visual Effects for Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan, and Chris Corbould.[142] The general public voted The Force Awakens Movie of the Year at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards; Daisy Ridley was also voted Best Breakthrough Performance, while Adam Driver won Best Villain.[143]

Abrams admitted one problem with the film, namely Rey and Leia hugging at the end, although it is not established that they know each other. Abrams explained Chewbacca was preoccupied with getting Finn medical attention, while Rey and Leia had spoken via transmitter offscreen. He said, "Had Chewbacca not been where he was, you probably wouldn't have thought of it. But because he was right there, passed by Leia, it felt almost like a slight, which was definitely not the intention."[144]

↑The 501st Legion on Facebook. 501st Legion (December 20, 2015). Retrieved on December 20, 2015. "As we lift our restrictions on spoilers, we thought it might be appropriate to express thanks for this "Easter egg" in ‪#‎TheForceAwakens‬. A variation of the ‪#‎501st‬ logo flies proudly on a flag at Maz Kanata's castle on the planet Takodana. Thank you to J. J. Abrams and all of the crew at Lucasfilm and Disney for honoring our contributions to the Star Wars franchise. ‪#‎StarWars‬ ‪#‎BadGuysDoingGood‬" (screenshot)